Crew of the Axe: Worlds Collide
by kilnorc
Summary: When Axe is torn apart from his nakama due to reasons beyond his control, he finds himself on an island and also finds himself involved in a very strange event. What he discovers is unbelievable, even for a man with his experience.
1. Chapter 1

**Crew of the Axe: Worlds Collide  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

**Kilnorc: Greetings from a long, long, LONG hiatus my friends! I have come from my sabbatical to deliver this special fanfiction! I hope you enjoy it, for it is VERY, VERY, VERY special!  
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In the Grand Line there is a special island. The island's name is Heikou and in the middle of this island, in the middle of a great jungle filled with ravenous animals and deadly natural hazards, lays a settlement called Nexus City. Despite it's surroundings, it's a moderately prosperous city with stores stocking both Doskoi Panda and the Criminal franchises. On the edge of the island was a harbor for departing and arriving ships and from that harbor there is a safe street that passes through the jungle, leading straight to Nexus City. In this city, on this island, there is a man, one who is lost and unable to find his way home.

Samuel D. Axe was this very man.

"FOR THE LOVE OF CRAP, THIS SUCKS AND I'M BORED!" he shouted to himself as he walked the streets of Nexus City. For days now, he had been separated from his crew and how miserable he was, missing them. He missed Devon insulting DJ and questioning his manhood; he missed Dusty being used as Sea King bait whenever she pissed off Niri or Kirsty enough; he even missed Azu rolling around, drunk off his ass, babbling one thing or another. He had no idea where they were now; the only thing he could be sure of was that he was here and his weapons were with him. That was something, at least.

"Oi! Kid!" a gruff, older voice called from the side of the street.

"Eh?" Axe stopped and turned to the voice. He half expected it to be a sheriff or some kind of lawman, but instead he was greeted with the sight of a drinking man. Not as bad as Azu, he could see that right off the bat, but a drinker nonetheless. "Yeah? Waddya ya want, ossan?"

"Come over here, would ya?" the man waved him over. "I got something for ya!"

Axe scowled, _If he says one thing about having a snake in his pants and needing me to reach in and help him get rid of it, I'm castrating him right then!_ He sighed and trudged over, hands in his pockets. "What?"

"What you were just screaming about now. You said you were bored?"

"Yeah, so? What's it to you?"

The drinking man shrugged. "Maybe I know something about something that'll kill time?"

Axe turned on his heels. "Look, if you got any freaky things in that head of yours, let me just say now that I don't swing that way."

"Hey, now wait a minute!" the man's hand landed on his shoulder. "I've got something to say!"

_Big mistake, dick._ Axe reached over his shoulder, grabbed the man's arm and with complete ease, he flipped the man over him and threw him onto the street. Before he had a chance to move, Axe planted a boot on his chest and glared down at him.

"Wait, wait, wait!" the man held up his hands, eyes full of fear. "I didn't mean anything against you, kid! Honestly! I was just wanting to tell you something!"

"Well, you have my attention now," Axe replied, keeping his boot on the man. "Tell me. What's so important?"

The man gulped. "You're new here, right?"

"For the time being, yeah," Axe nodded. "I don't have any way off this island yet. There aren't any boats going out for awhile and I have no money to bribe people. Why?"

"I know something that'll keep you entertained and maybe even earn you some money!"

Axe's eyebrow rose. "Go on."

"There's a man, we call him Old Man Kenta," the man said slowly, "he's kinda crazy, but for awhile now, he's been going on and on about losing some kind of treasure and asking people to help him find it. If you're really wanting to do something, you can go and see him, he lives closer to the jungle than anyone here!"

Axe lifted his boot and the man rolled out from under him. "Why would you tell me something like that? I'm a stranger to this island, how do I know that you're not lying and not trying to pull something over on me?"

The man grinned. "Oh c'mon, who would do such a thing like that?"

The pirate glared at him and the grin disappeared.

"Where is he, exactly?"

The man pointed down the road. "Just keep going down until you start hearing an old fart ranting at the top of his lungs. If, by some bizarre chance, you don't hear that, just keep going until you come to the last house in the area on the jungle borders. That's his."

Axe looked in the direction he was pointed to, then he turned to the pointer. "Look, I'm a nice guy, in general and all. However," he stepped closer and grabbed the man by the neck of his shirt and hauled him clean off the ground, "I am not in the best of moods right now. If I find out that you're screwing with me, you'll find out exactly how it feels to be launched face first into a building! Understand?"

The man's face went white. "Y-Y-YESSIR!"

"Good," Axe threw him to the ground and walked off. "Natives piss me off so much sometimes..."

_A short time later..._

Old Man Kenta was on the edge of his property, waving to something as it disappeared into the jungle. "Just remembered what I said, you hear me? It has to be found and brought back in one piece, do you understand? Or else I'm gonna kill you myself!"

Axe, who had just been walking onto his land, noticed him right away. Old Man Kenta was a thin man wearing dirty clothes that hung around his wiry frame while gray-to-white hair grew from his scalp. "Oi! You the old man whose looking for treasure?"

Kenta turned and nearly jumped out of his skin when he clapped eyes on Axe. "I just-" he looked back at the jungle. "But you-! How did you?" He turned to Axe and looked him over. "You got a lot paler all of a sudden, kid!"

"Eh?" Axe blinked. "What the hell are you talking about? Have we met before?"

Kenta nodded frantically. "YEAH! I just sent you to go after my treasure!"

Axe sweatdropped. _That guy was telling the truth alright, this old man is crazy! I've never been here before, what the hell is he talking about?_ He coughed lightly. "Listen, my name is Axe and I heard in town that you're missing that treasure you just mentioned. I came to see if it were true and if I could help."

Kenta stared warily at him. "...uh...huh..."

"But, I have conditions!" Axe held up a finger. "I'm currently stranded on this island. I didn't come here intentionally, I was forced to. So, here's the deal: I get your treasure back, if you really have one that is, and you pay me enough money to buy passage the next time a boat comes into the harbor. Sound good?"

Kenta nodded, slowly. Axe could see that the crazy old man had something going on in his head. Part of him wondered if something was really bothering him, but then another part of him wondered if the old fart was either looking at him or a dancing giant pink elephant. He could never tell with crazy people until they burst out into either violence or random song. He oughta know, he had lived with certain members of his crew long enough to know when to recognize signs.

"So," Axe crossed his arms and stared at the old man, "you gonna tell me more about this treasure, or do I have to go through the jungle, picking up any little thing I come across just to be safe?"

The old man frowned. "So impatient. Just like the one before you."

"Huh? There was another one here before me?"

He nodded.

"When?"

"Just before you came up to me. He went into the jungle to find the treasure and-"

"SHIT!" Axe took off like a bullet, darting past the old man and rushing into the jungle treeline. "You couldn't have told me this earlier?"

Kenta watched him leave and shook his head. "Today is such a weird day..." He glanced over his shoulder, as if he were fearing he was being watched, but when he saw no one standing there, he sighed, hand laying over his heart. "So glad!"

Axe blew through the beginning part of the jungle, vines and branches whipping at his face and arms, but he didn't care. He had a chance to get off this island, he wasn't about to let some asshole find the treasure and make out better than him! Not after everything he had been through before this place!

As he ran, he was completely unaware that he was being watched; studied. From the dark safety of the Hiekou Jungle, a large form watched the young pirate/treasure hunter barrel by him. The form moved quickly, silently, like a panther on the hunt. It moved through the trees and the brushes, keeping close, yet keeping a safe distance from the boy. It could not see him clearly due to the foliage, but it knew the boy meant trouble.

Armed to the teeth, the figure smiled from underneath the golden pelt of a great mountain lion. "You think this is a race, kid, but," it pulled free a bow from it's back and reached for an arrow, "this is a hunt!"

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**Kilnorc: You know, it feels good coming back to my roots, it really does. Glad to be back, ya'll! Why am I back all of a sudden? Tis a secret!  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

**Kilnorc: Wow, such warm greetings from fans and friends! ^_^" Glad you guys are enjoying it and are so eager and curious as to what this is all about. You asked questions, wondering about what's up. You want answers? I'll GIVE YOU ANSWERS!**

**But you have to wait, MWAHAHAHAHAHA!  
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It took Axe a short run through the jungle to realize that he had no idea where he was going exactly. Assuming he had made himself lost, he stopped running and began to think about what was going on. There was the old man with a supposed treasure, there was the other man ahead of him somewhere, and then he realized that he had no idea what this treasure actually looked like!

He began to mentally kick himself. "Shit! I was in such a rush, but now I have no idea what the hell I'm doing out here!" he sighed and scratched his head. "Okay, think, Axe, think! You've gone after treasure and competition before, when your life wasn't all completely screwed up with your first crew. You know what to do."

So deep in thought, Axe did not see the shadowy figure move about around him, but he had heard something. It was a sound; a kind of stretching and creaking. He knew what it was three seconds after he heard it. He had no reason to fear though. Why should he, when he had his Devil Fruit power?

_**Twang!**_

A large arrow sailed through the treeline and struck him in the back, but instead of penetrating his flesh, it only made a hole in his clothing before bouncing off and landing on the ground. In a heartbeat, the pirate wheeled about and threw one of his tomahawks into the trees. The shadow in the lion pelt quickly dodged and watched as the weapon landed deep into the bark of the tree it was just standing in front of.

If it could have whistled without fear of being completely exposed, it would have. Despite the lack of such an action, the figure was both surprised and impressed at what it had just seen. It ripped the tomahawk free of the bark and looked back at the youth who had thrown it. _This kid's something else, whoever he is! He can handle a blade just fine...and what the hell is with him? He wearing some kind of body armor or something? I don't see anything..._

"I don't know who you are," Axe called out, "but you're messing with the one guy on the wrong day!" He scanned the jungle slowly, trying to catch a glimpse of his stalker. "I'm only going to warn you once: leave the treasure hunting to me and don't try anything stupid again! You have no idea who I am, or what I am capable of and if you piss me off, you'll find out at the greatest extent!"

No reply came back from the jungle. However, the stalker melted deeper into the trees, trying not to lose sight of the target. _What __**exactly**__ are you capable of, stranger? You've caught my interest..._

Axe looked at the jungle for a short time more, then nodded. "Alright! I'm going to get going now, and if I find out that you're being a dumbass and coming after me again, then you can't say I didn't warn you! Because I did!" He turned and left, wanting to get on with the hunt.

The stalker decided to have a little more fun with the boy. There was a warning, but who cares? Ideas ran through the stalker's mind and it smiled at each and every one of them. It looked at the tomahawk in its grip and nodded.

_This is going to be so much fun..._

Before this day was done, the pirate known as Axe would be put up against a plethora of troubles during his stay in the Heikou wilderness. A number of problems specifically are as follows...

The Hanging Tree

Axe settled underneath a large tree. He removed his weapons and pulled his coat off to look at the hole in the cloth. "If I were any normal man, that could've punctured a lung or something!" he peered closer. "Though, why use a bow and arrow instead of a rifle? I can get that some people prefer it, but if you're going to bring down something in a jungle, it's a smarter thing if you use a rifle..."

Above him, sitting on a branch was the stalker in the lion pelt. It looked down intently at its prey, watching every move he made and staring at the equipment he carried. The belts of tomahawks (minus one) rested against the tree next to the giant double-headed axe. It was that weapon in particular that sparked more interest in the stalker.

_He must be pretty strong to be able to carry that without much hassle, but I wonder if he can use it well enough?_

"It can't be a bounty hunter," Axe was saying to himself, "because no one knows that I'm here! I haven't seen any Marine presence anywhere and the only WANTED posted I've seen is some guy named Rockstar!" he scratched his head. "Who the hell is Rockstar, anyway?"

The stalker shook its head. _Whoever this person is, he loses track too easily! At first he was concerned about my arrow, now he's worried about some wanted man!_ It looked closer and frowned. _Strange, I don't see any body armor on him or anywhere around him, so how come my arrow didn't kill him? I don't get it, I know I didn't miss!_

Axe donned his coat and sat there, arms crossed as he thought out loud. "Okay, would be assassin aside, I'm still lost at trying to find this ossan's treasure. I should focus on that, because I can handle any dumbass who thinks they can make a name for themselves by bringing me down. Now, if I were a treasure...where would I be?"

He sat there thinking for some time, lost in his own mind until the smell of food wafted into his nostrils. Sniffing, he looked up from the ground, a gluttonous smile crossing his face. As drool rolled down the corner of his mouth, he discovered that a large, beautiful display of food sat not twenty feet in front of him. It was filled with cuts of roast meat sitting over a fire, and fresh looking fruit gathered around the pit...oh, how Axe's stomach rumbled at the sight of it! It made him think back to the delicacies Herman would often make on _The Ocean Dreamer_.

Axe stared at the feast before him, his stomach growling like a wild beast and rose to his feet, forgetting his equipment. He started moving towards it when something hit him. "Wait, wait, wait!" he slapped himself a couple times. "What the hell am I doing? Since when does food magically appear in front of me?" he shook his head, chuckling. "This is so obviously a trap!" He looked around on the ground and immediately noticed a patch of earth that stood out from the rest. The patch was made up of very crude branches, mis-matching pieces of grass and other plants stitched to the frame.

A pitfall trap, obviously.

"PFFT!" Axe scoffed and walked around the trap. "I don't know who you are out there," he called out, "but you're gonna have to do a lot better than that!" With that, he made his way towards the food, but unfortunately, his pride led him to his downfall.

No, seriously, it literally led him to his downfall, because as he moved closer to the food, a much more finely crafted pitfall trap, completely unnoticeable this time, broke under his weight.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

_**THUMP**_

"...ow..."

The stalker emerged from the trees, smiling. "Gets them every single time! Make a trap so bad they think they're smart enough to detect and bypass it, then when they're not expecting it, let them go into a better trap!" The stalker laughed triumphantly.

Axe heard the laughter. "I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE, BUT WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE, YOU'RE GOING TO WISH YOU NEVER MET ME!" he roared from the hole.

"Good luck with that," the stalker said dismissively, eyes locked on Axe's forgotten equipment. "My traps have caught all kinds of things for me, and not one of them has managed to get free. You're going to be in there for awhile, kid! Or maybe until you die..."

Axe picked himself up from the ground and looked up at the hole opening above him, squinting as the sunlight poured in. "Okay, this bastard's asking for it! Just you wait, you've messed with the wrong pirate! I-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Axe suddenly heard the stalker scream above him. "Now what? _Geppou!_" It took him very little effort to launch himself into the air and out of the hole. He landed just in front of the tree where he once sat and saw why he had heard the scream. Dangling from a tree with a thick rope made out of vine tied around his ankle was his stalker. It was a man, from what he could see, with his animal pelts covering his face and his arms flailing like mad.

"Well, well, well! Look at what we have here now!" Axe jabbed a finger at the man. "Karma strikes back, asshole!"

The man stopped his flailing and just hung there. "This is nothing! I'm gonna get down and when I do, you're going to wish you hadn't made this trap!"

Axe blinked. "I didn't make a trap, though. I just fell into one..."

The man was silent. "...ooooh...that's right...I made this one to catch you too..." he murmured.

"AAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Axe burst into a fit of tearful laughter. "YOU FELL INTO YOUR OWN TRAP? YOU DUMBASS!"

"That's right, get your laugh in, but when-"

"What kind of frickin' moron gets stuck in his own trap?" Axe asked through his tears, holding his sides. "DUMBASS!"

Axe's mocking and ridicule went on for about an hour until he had fallen into the pit again during his laughing fit. Using _Geppou_ to rise out again, he began to calm down. He wiped the tears away from his eyes, still chuckling now an then. "Okay...okay, I'm done..."

"Oh joy," the man in the pelts muttered. "How the hell do you keep getting out of the pit? I heard you fall in again!"

"I'm talented, that's why," Axe picked up a stick and poked the man. "I got plenty of questions for you too. First off, why'd you try to kill me early?"

"You're competition!" the man replied immediately. "I'm out here looking for the old guy's treasure and thought you'd try to screw me out of the reward."

He poked the man again. "So, you're not a bounty hunter?"

"I've done some in my time, but I'm not doing it right now, I-WHY DOES THAT MATTER?" the man began to flail again. "Where are you, you little shit, face me like a man!"

Axe sweatdropped. "I am facing you, you just can't see me because those animal hides are in front of your face. Speaking of," he reached and grabbed the lion pelt tightly, "time to see who the hell you are!"

He pulled the pelt clear off and dropped it immediately.

Axe's jaw dropped. "Holy-"

"Shit!" the man exclaimed.

"This...what the hell is this?"

Samuel D. Axe had witnessed a great many things during his life as a pirate: he had seen the evils that Marines and the World Government were capable of, he had seen wonderful treasures long lost since centuries past, and he had seen extraordinary people with magnificent abilities. A good deal of them being part of his crew, like Chizuru and Kirsty in particular. But there was one thing that especially surprise the pirate Axe, and it was this man.

The man was muscular and strong, as he could tell from the muscles he saw underneath the very tanned skin of his. He was quite brown in color, a sign that he had spent a great deal of time underneath the light of the sun. His body was covered with scars of all kinds and he wore simple cloths: leather boots, stitched pants, a thick leather belt with a large knife and a bag attached to it, and the mountain lion pelt he had just worn. His attire was not what was surprising, as something like this was not exactly uncommon in the Grand Line. No, what was truly surprising was his facial appearance. Browned and scarred like the rest of his body, his head sprouted a mane of thick, wild hair that was as black as night itself and dark eyes. Despite the color and the scar marks, he had seen this face before. So many times before.

It was his own face!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

**Kilnorc: The mystery deepens!  
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The two of them shared not only the same face, but the same expression of shock which was frozen on each one.

Axe dropped his stick. "What...the hell is this..."

The doppleganger slowly shook his head. "I...don't...know..."

"...Bon Clay?"

"The hell did you just call me?"

The pirate crouched low to his eye level. "I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to be completely honest with me."

"Sure..."

"What's your name?"

The doppleganger gave an awkward chuckle. "My name's Axe, who the hell are you?"

The pirate pointed to himself. "My name...is Axe."

A wind blew through the jungle around them.

"You're lying," the hanging man said at last.

Axe shook his head. "No, I'm not. I admit, I'm a liar, but I'm not lying about this. My name _is_ Axe."

"No, _my_ name is Axe."

"No...my name is Axe! Samuel D. Axe!"

The hanging man looked at him oddly. "Samuel...D...?"

"Yeah, that's right! The famous pirate!" Axe smiled cockily. "You've heard of me, then!" A thought popped into his head. "AH! Okay, I get it now!" he said, nodding. "You're a fake! You're a fan of mine who wants to cash in on my reputation! I have to admit, you're going to good lengths to do it, getting surgery like that to make your face look like mine," he looked closely at the scars on his face. "Damn though, your surgeon must have been a butcher, that job sucks!"

Fake Axe glared at him. "I've never heard of anyone named Samuel D. anything!"

Axe sighed and shook his head. "Not even man enough to admit it? Such a shame..."

"Look, I don't know what kind of game you're playing or what kind of sorcery you have, but-"

"Sorcery?" Axe tilted his head. "What, magic? What are you talking about, I can't do magic?"

Fake Axe snorted. "You have to be a magician! How else can you survive my arrow from earlier? I saw you, you don't have any armor on you and there's no way you could've climbed out of that pit I made!"

"I'm talented, that's why," Axe picked up his stick and poked him again, this time in the forehead. "I don't need magic of any kind to do what I can do. I have my Devil Fruit and Rokushiki to help me out there."

"Devil what and Roku-who now?"

"Devil Fruit!"

Fake Axe stared at him.

"You know, _Devil Fruit_. The things that give people the abilities to do things that are scattered all over the world, but by doing so, they take away their ability to swim for the rest of their lives?"

The man just kept staring at him.

"You _really_ don't know?"

"No, but, it sounds fascinating, really. Tell me more!"

Axe facefaulted. _This guy's an idiot..._

Another wind blew around them, but this time around, the sound of laughter was carried on it. It was the sound of a child laughing. Not a cruel laugh, but a bright, happy laugh. One of joy. Hearing it, the two Axes broke away from their dialogue and listened.

Fake Axe narrowed his eyes. "That's her!"

"Her?" Axe turned to him. "Her who? Who's her?"

Fake Axe tried to reach up and undo the tight binding around his angle. "That's the old man's daughter! She's nearby!"

"What the hell are you talking about daughter?"

Fake Axe stopped and dangled, looking at the pirate. "You know, the treasure he seeks!"

Axe blinked. "Eh?"

Fake Axe sweatdropped. "You don't know..." he sighed. "Moron!"

Poke. "Those who hang from trees in their own traps shouldn't throw stones..."

A vein pulsed in his forehead. "Old Man Kenta told me all about her. The treasure he lost is his daughter, his only daughter, mind you! He told me she had gone out a while ago and hadn't been back, so he got worried and he sent me to find her!"

"Really?" Axe looked around them. "So, if that's her..." his face brightened up and he shot to full height. "That means I can find her no problem!" He looked down at his doppleganger and gave a wave. "Have fun with that, pal, I'm off to earn a reward!"

"Now, wait a minute, you just can't-"

"_Soru!"_

Axe vanished in a blur, leaving nothing but a puff of dirt rising into the air from his technique. The other Axe stared, wide-eyed at the empty space.

"Leave...me...here..." he finished slowly. "WHAT THE HELL KIND OF PERSON ARE YOU?"

**_-Hours later, as night fell...-_**

Axe trudged his way through the jungle, exhausted from his search. He had spent all day in the jungle, chasing shadows and whispers through the trees and every single time he thought had had found a girl, he was left with nothing, not even a trace of anyone! Angry and tired, he made his way back through the jungle towards the tree, towards the fake. He had no idea if he was still there, but if he was, he could get a rise out of him by mocking him some more. That would cheer him up.

As he moved closer, he caught the doppleganger speaking out loud.

"...there? Hello? Are you there? Why aren't you talking to me, buddy?"

_Who the hell is he talking to? _Axe wondered, stopping. _Does he have company with him on this island? I didn't see anyone..._

He came out into the open and saw him still in the tree, still caught in his trap. The only difference now was that the knife from his belt had become stuck fast in the ground, out of arm's reach and his face was very red now, no doubt from all the blood pooling into his head.

"Oh, still here?" Axe greeted casually, stepping into view. "Let me guess: you're just hanging out?"

Fake Axe rolled his eyes. "Hardy har har. What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't catch the girl. I kept coming close, but I kept failing in the end." Axe plopped down in front of him. "So, where's your friend?"

"Huh?"

"Your friend," Axe repeated. "I heard you talking to him just now."

"Oh," Fake Axe shook his head. "I was just talking to Steve. Been trying to get his attention for hours now, but he just ignores me. I think he's mad at me. Either that or he's just being a total dick, it's hard to tell with him, really."

Axe looked around. "Where is he?"

"You can't see him."

"I can't?"

"Nope. Not exactly, anyway."

"Uh huh..."

_Geez, this guy's nuts! I think all that blood is drowning his brain or something..._

"You couldn't get free of your own trap, huh?"

"No," Fake Axe sighed. "I tried cutting myself loose, but I dropped the knife. I can't untie it because it's out of my reach and it's stuck on really good!"

Axe looked at the vine binding him. "Huh..."

"So, I've been thinking."

Axe looked back at him. "What?"

Fake Axe was spinning, just a little, in place. "I said I've been thinking. About us and this whole situation we're in."

"You mean the situation you're in," Axe pointed out. "You're still stuck in the tree whereas I am able to roam free and clear."

"I'm talking about finding the girl!" Fake Axe snapped at him.

"What about it?"

Fake Axe seemed hesitant. "I'm normally not against doing it, but today has been a very, very, very weird day for me-"

"Tell me about it..."

"-and given the circumstances, I'd rather try to avoid doing stupid things-"

"Too late for that."

"SHUT UP!" he barked. "I GET IT ALREADY! CUT IT OUT!"

Axe chew on his bottom lip. "Don't you mean 'cut me down'?"

If Fake Axe's face could get any redder, it went unnoticed. He took a deep breath, looking like he was trying hard to keep calm. "Okay, I'm just going to cut this short. You cut me down, then we'll both go looking for the girl."

Axe's eyebrows went up. "Come again?"

"I said that you and I become partners in this. You cut me down and I'll help you find the old man's daughter."

"Why should I let you?"

"Use your head for a minute. You're fast, I don't know how-"

"Rokushiki."

"I have no idea what the hell that is, but the point is that you're fast. However, it seems that that isn't enough."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because you just admitted a few minutes ago that you failed over and over again, remember?" Fake Axe smirked. "You're fast, but you lack necessary skills here."

"What kind of skills?"

"As I was hanging here, I thought back to the job the old man gave. He told me that his daughter likes to venture out around here a lot. If that's true, then she must know the island pretty damn well. This means that she probably has a bunch of hiding places burned into her memory. She's using her knowledge of the island and the jungle to lose you while you pursued her. Don't you get it, kid? She's toying with you!"

Axe's eye twitched. "That little piece of-"

"I can help you though," Fake Axe interjected. "Growing up, I learned how to hunt at an early age. I can track animals! You give me a footprint, a piece of fur or hair, hell just give me one piece of evidence that they took a crap in the woods and I can tell how fresh it is and how far away they are!"

"...okay, ew..."

"Hunting is never clean, so don't judge me. If we become partners in this, I'm sure we can find her! I'll track her and then you can try and flush her out. By doing this, she'll be forced to move out and if you can move her towards me, I'll be able to catch her. We do that, we'll both go to the old man and claim the reward, split it fifty-fifty!"

Axe looked at him, suspicious. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"I might be able to ask you the same question, but I figure you can't be all bad."

"Why not?"

"Because, I've been here, just like a piece of meat in a butcher's shop and you haven't tried to slit my throat or anything. True, you've left me here for hours, maybe to die, but you didn't actually kill me. Whether it was mercy or because you just didn't want to, I think of it as a good point."

"Okay, so you can trust me, or you think you can anyway, but why should I trust you? You tried to kill me before!"

Fake Axe shrugged. "True, but that was before the idea of a partnership came to mind. The past is in the past!"

"How do I know that when we do find her, you won't try to kill me again?"

Another shrug. "Look, you gonna cut me down or are we going to play Twenty Questions all night and waste our time?"

Axe bent down and plucked the knife from the dirt. "Just so you know? If you think about back-stabbing me, I'll separate your head from your shoulders. I've had enough double-crossing in my life as it is..."

Fake Axe smiled. "You and I have something in common. Well, something else, anyway," he chuckled, pointing to his face.

"Oh please!" Axe cut the vine away, letting the imposter fall flat on his face. "I'm way better looking than you, Scarface..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

That night, the jungle was alive! The two Axes combed through the wooded wilderness, looking for the child they had been charged to find. At first, they traveled together until Fake Axe caught one of her tracks, which lead to the other Axe darting away to flush her out. At first, the two thought with their combined talents, that they would accomplish their goal within an hour at most, but two hours into the night, they were still searching for her.

Remember the early mention about Axe having a number of problems, the first one being the tree and the pit? Well, something else had happened to the two of them...

They were chasing after her when, either by pure mishap or fault on one of their own, the two Axes were sent tumbling off a small cliffside and down into a lake. Jumbled into each other's limbs and screaming all the way down, the two Axes hit the surface of the lake and as soon as they were free of one another, began to thrash about.

"HELP!" Axe shouted. "I'M A HAMMER! I CAN'T SWIM!"

"NEITHER CAN I!" Fake Axe screamed.

"I ATE A DEVIL FRUIT, WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?"

The shouting went on for about five minutes until Fake Axe discovered something. Although they had fallen into the body of water beneath the cliffside, the section of the lake was actually quite shallow. Once calm, he stood up and looked about. The water was barely even knee deep!

Above on the cliff, their target was holding her sides and burying her face into the earth, her legs kicking madly from hysterics.

Face turning red (this time from embarrassment), he cleared his throat. "It's okay, we don't have anything to worry about. False alarm. Let's get going, kid."

_Blub, blub, blub._

"Kid?" Fake Axe looked down and nearly fell over when he saw Axe floating on the surface of the water, face down and arms outstretched while bubbles leaked and rose around his head. "Oh for the love of..." He bent down, grabbed the pirate by both the coat and his weapon's shaft, hauled him out of the water, high over his head and with a loud grunt, threw him clear of the water and onto the bank nearby.

Axe bounced a couple of times when he hit the ground and rolled to a stop, his eyes swirling about.

Fake Axe laughed and shook his head. "Trying to be me, huh kid? Well, sorry to say, you're not doing so hot!"

Something tugged at his trouser leg.

"Eh?" he looked down to see a small octopus' tentacle reaching out of the water, clinging to his clothing. Almost immediately, he let out a bloodcurdling scream and ran out of the water like a bat out of Hell itself. The octopus still clinging on, he gave a mighty kick, sending it far onto the other side of the lake. "YOU BASTARDS STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" he screamed, watching it fly until it became nothing more than a twinkle of light. His heart was pounding like a jackhammer, his face was pallid. "YOU HEAR ME? YOU MESS WITH ME, THAT'S WHAT YOU GET!"

By the time they finally found the girl, the two were looking as though they had just been through Hell and back. Covered in filth, mud, bug bites, twigs, and countless other troublesome things, the two finally found some comfort before a campfire. They sat on either side of the flames with the girl sitting to one side in between them. Both Axes kept staring at one another as the girl fidgeted with her bindings.

_Pain in the ass girl..._ they thought, looking back at how they finally caught her.

_**-FLASHBACK-**_

**"**_**Soru!"** Axe breezed through the jungle, chasing after the small form that was winding in and out of the trees. "Shit, she's fast!"_

"_Can't catch me, can't catch me!" the girl taunted, not even looking back. She was but a normal human girl, with no great talent for inhuman speed, but the jungle was pretty thick in that particular area and even Axe had some trouble maneuvering through it. She, however, cut through it with little trouble at all. "This is my playground, onii-chan!" she teased. "Can't beat me on my turf!"_

"_We'll see about that, you little brat!" Axe smirked. **Any time you're ready, asshole, we're coming your way!**_

_Fake Axe was stalking, like a predatory beast, hidden by the brush and silent as a big cat. He could see and hear the girl coming his was. The other one was forcing her his way just fine and she didn't seem to suspect a thing. Everything was according to plan, now all they needed was the right moment..._

"_GOTCHA!" He pulled hard on the vine-rope in his hands the second she crossed into the trap. With a shriek, she flipped over and became nothing more than something similar to a worm on a hook, dangling and writhing above the ground._

"_AAAH! LET ME DOWN!" she screamed. "LET ME DOWN!"_

_When Axe caught up to them, Fake Axe was securing their target with more vines. The strong plants were wrapped around her wrists behind her back and then wrapped around her torso, immobilizing her arms. A makeshift tether was made around her waist, the other end wrapped around Fake Axe's hand._

"_Wow," Axe whistled. "That...you're good."_

"_I told you, didn't I?" Fake Axe held up the rope. "I know how to hunt and I've done some work as a bounty hunter. I know how to track, to trap and to capture my prey."_

_Axe crossed his arms. "You ever do any slavery work?"_

_Fake Axe didn't meet his eyes. "I don't exactly care for the trade, to be perfectly honest..."_

"_HELP ME!" the girl suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs. "I'M BEING KIDNAPPED BY SOME SICK BONDAGE PERVERTS!"_

_The two Axes flinched at her scream. "GEH!"_

_She kept screaming: "HENTAI, HENTAI, HENTAI!"_

_Axe looked to the other. "Should we gag her or something!" he yelled over her._

_Fake Axe gave him a nasty look. "I really don't think that's gonna help our situation look any better if someone finds us!"_

"_Then what the hell do you suggest wwe do!"_

"_HENTAI, HENTAI, HENTAI, HEN-"_

_BONK! BONK!_

_She fell over onto the ground, eyes swirling about. The two pursuers, each one holding a fist, looked at the girl, then at one another._

_**-END FLASHBACK-**_

The girl was a pretty little thing, with short yellow hair and bright eyes. Her body was strong and brown from time in the jungle, although she was nowhere near as brown as Fake Axe. Unlike the others, the clothes she wore were relatively spotless. She was sporting two fresh lumps on her head; small tear drops were stuck in the corners of her eyes.

"So," Axe said after some time, "what's your name, kid?"

"Kagami," she said slowly. "Papa sent you two after me, huh?"

"Something like that, yeah," Fake Axe mumbled, scratching at a fierce scratch across his chest. He looked at it, a troubled and puzzled look on his face. "Why are you out here?"

She looked into the flames. "Papa and I had another fight."

"A fight?"

She nodded. "About my powers."

The two Axes shared glances.

"What powers?" Axe asked her.

"Devil Fruit Powers," she replied. "I ate one when I was younger."

"What was it?"

She shrugged. "I don't know the name."

"What powers did it give you?"

She shrugged again, but said nothing on the matter. What did say was: "Papa and I get into a lot of fights sometimes about my powers. It's why I end up in the jungle so much, I like to get away from him being mad at me. It's not my fault though, it's not like I can have complete control over it. I just...do it sometimes."

"You shouldn't really run and hide from your problems, Kagami," Axe told her gently. "Especially if it's about your family. Take me for example."

She looked at him.

"I have been through so much shit over the past five years, it's not even funny. Although, I can't help but shake the feeling some people out there in the world find my torture amusing..." Axe shook his head dismissively. "Anyway! My biggest problem right now is that I've been separated from my-" he was going to say crew at first, but then "-family and I miss them a great deal. Another problem aside from that is that not too long ago, I lost another group of dear friends. It hurt me deeply and it scarred me so much, I don't know if I'll ever be the same again. I'm pretty messed up because of it, but with that in my heart as a memory, even a dark one, it helps me to appreciate the company of those I love even more. I would do anything for them and I would do anything to get back to them."

Fake Axe nodded slowly. "I can relate to that story, kid."

Axe glanced at him. "How so?"

"I haven't had the best life, either, you could say. I lost my parents when I was young and I had a very rough time growing up without them. I had some friends too, but then I lost them and I've been messed up pretty badly too. One good thing that came out of my life was a woman-"

"Dude!" Axe ran a hand over his neck, pointing to the girl. "Seriously? I'm all for chicks, but she's a kid, think about what ya wanna say, exactly!"

Fake Axe glared at him. "I've known my share of women in my life, and they all meant something to me at one time, but there was one in particular that was special. She reminded me what it was like to be happy and I was grateful to be with her."

"What happened to her? She die or something?"

Fake Axe glowered. "I'm trying to find her to find out just that...haven't had much luck though, I keep running into trouble. Whether it's a fight or..." he glanced at Kagami and made a small grin, "...annoying little girls."

A flood of fresh tears rolled down Kagami's cheeks. She sniffed loudly, snorting the trickle of crying mucus back up.

Axe glared at his double. "The hell were you thinking, dude!"

"I didn't mean to make her cry!"

"You called her an annoying kid!"

"When has that ever upset someone so much that they started to cry a river?"

In between tears, Kagami managed to ask: "So, you're saying is that sometimes shit happens and no matter what shit life throws at you, you have to face it head on and deal with it to the best of your ability? You can't run away when you don't wanna deal with it?"

Axe nodded. "Smart kid. Foul-mouthed, but smart. Look, Kagami, in the morning, we'll take you back to your papa, but just remember what we told you, huh? Also, try and figure out more about that Devil Fruit of yours. Believe me when I say that once you know about it, it's gonna make life a lot more interesting for ya."

She sniffed a long one this time. "Aw gawd, your stories! They...they...THEY TOUCHED ME!"

The camp went quiet for awhile, save for the occasional crackling of wood burning.

Axe glanced at the other. "Geez, I am _really_ hoping that no one was within earshot of this conversation, because if they heard a little girl say that about two guys who have her tied up and at their mercy, we would be in _serious_ shit."

The other Axe nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah..."

"M-M-Maybe..." she stammered, trying to completely calm herself down now, "...I should go back to papa..."

"That's a good idea, because one way or another, we're going to take you back," Axe told her. "Better that you come to your senses yourself, because I don't think we can beat it into you if it was asked of us. I'd hate to cause you brain damage. I already deal with enough brain dead fools as it is, I don't wanna be responsible for another one. Another idiot with a Devil Fruit is the last thing this world needs."

"Hey," Fake Axe threw a pebble at the pirate. "You said you had that kind of thing, didn't you? What powers do you have from this weird fruit stuff?"

Axe grinned from ear to ear and held up a fist. "It's a two part thing, really. I ate the _Kachi Kachi no Mi: Model Diamond_. When I first had it, I could only go into this form," he paused as his fist turned a dark gray, like a stone, "but as I got older and stronger, I unlocked the true form of my power..." His hand went from stone gray to a brilliant, sparkly substance.

Fake Axe's jaw dropped. "No...way..." He adjusted himself in his spot. "Hey, gotta question. What's with your name?"

"Axe? It's what I was born with."

"No! That...that...that Samuel D. angle you have going."

"Samuel is the surname of my family."

"You have that BEFORE your first name?"

"Yeah."

"Weird..."

"Shaddup."

"And the D?"

Axe stared at him. "I'm not the only one who has it, actually. There are a lot of famous people who have it."

"Really? Who?"

Axe shrugged and poked the fire. "Monkey D. Luffy, for one. He's pretty damn famous these days. Veda D. Kagura and Shidyk D. Shade are another couple of people with that middle initial."

Fake Axe looked at him quizzically. "Never heard of 'em!"

Axe's jaw dropped. Not hearing Devil Fruits was one thing, but how the hell could he not have heard about these individuals? Luffy, he could understand, he was a rookie, but Shidyk? He was the World's Greatest Assassin!

"Tell me about these guys!" Fake Axe said eagerly.

"Oooookay..." Axe cleared his throat. "Well, they all have Devil Fruits. Monkey D. Luffy ate the _Gumo Gumo no Mi_, which made him into a Rubberman. Veda D. Kagura ate a Devil Fruit, I can't quite remember what it was called, but it allows her to turn into this huge ass kangaroo. Now, Shidyk D. Shade, that guy has one helluva Devil Fruit! His power can turn him into this black, shadowy lookin' fire thing! Believe me, that is a real bitch to fight against, and I speak from personal experience!"

Fake Axe grinned. "Sounds like a bunch of fun people. There's one question that bugs me right now, though."

"What's that?"

"You guys all share that D. thing?"

"Yeah, far as I know. Others do, too."

"What does it mean? What does that middle initial of D. mean?"

"Well, now to many, that's a very big mystery." Axe shrugged. "For as long as any can remember, no one can figure that out."

"But, you did?"

"Maybe."

"You're not lying?"

"That's up for you to decide."

"Then, what is it?"

Axe took a deep breath. "The middle D stands for D-"

Fake Axe suddenly turned around and looked at the jungle. "Hang on, I think I just heard something..."

Axe nearly fell over. "PAY ATTENTION!"

"Okay, okay, sorry, just checking!" Fake Axe looked back at him. "Go ahead."

Sighing, Axe went on. "D stands for D-"

Suddenly, Fake Axe's head dropped and a loud snoring came from him.

This time, Axe did fall over. "WHAT THE HELL!"

Kagami looked at the sleeping one. "He must be tired to just drop out like that. Either that or he's a narcoleptic."

_Yeah, just like another guy I know..._ Axe's eye twitched. He picked up a small piece of log with one burning end and threw it across the campfire. "WAKE UP, STUPID!"

The log smacked Fake Axe over the head and bounced off with a thick _CLUNK!_ He snorted loudly and woke up to feel a light burning feeling on his scalp. Cursing loudly, he smacked at his head, putting out the embers. "DUDE! WHAT THE HELL!"

Axe pointed at him. "Don't fall asleep when someone's trying to talk to you!"

"Fine, fine! Just don't set me on fire, man, that's insane!" Fake Axe ran his hand over his head. "Do I got a bald spot now? I hope not, I love my hair..."

_Who the hell is this guy?_ Axe stared at him. He couldn't figure this guy out, not one bit. So many things bugged him.

"You really have no idea about Devil Fruits," Axe observed. "I find that so weird, everyone in the world knows about Devil Fruits, even if they think they're legends, they've heard of them at least!"

Fake Axe shook his head. "Sorry to disappoint, but-"

"He's not from this world."

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

**Kilnorc: DUN DUN DUN-DUN-DUN-DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

**Kilnorc: This is the finale, boys and girls! You want answers? Well, buckle up, because you're gonna get 'em! Questions demand answers, answers will form questions...and the answers to THOSE questions will be at the bottom of this page when you're done reading the chapter.  
><strong>

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The two of them looked at Kagami. Her face was still red from her crying, but she was quite calm now. She looked at neither one of them, but rather into the fire.

Axe leaned over. "What'd you say, kid?"

"I said that he isn't from this world," she repeated simply. "He's only a visitor, here for a short time."

"What the hell..." Fake Axe scrunched his face in confusion.

Axe looked across the campfire. "Wait, a different world? What's your world called?"

"Tellus," his double replied quickly.

"No," Axe shook his head. "I can't tell YOU, you have to tell ME. What is your world's name?"

_"Tellus,"_ the other said again.

Axe pointed to the girl. "I'm not telling you or her anything. Don't you go order me 'Tell Us', because I'm talking to you, and you have to tell me what your world is!"

His other glared at him and through gritted teeth. "The name...of the world...where I am from..." he said slowly "...is _**TELLUS**_. My world is called Tellus!"

Axe blinked, realizing the goof. "O-Oh...o...okay..." A bead of sweat appeared on his head. _Geez, that made me look like an idiot..._

Kagami took a deep breath. "You asked about my powers, earlier." She tilted her head to Fake Axe's direction. "They brought him here."

Fake Axe stared at her, then looked at his hands. "Geez, kid, how badly did we hit you? It's one thing to say something about another world, but it's another thing entirely to say that you brought me here..."

She shook her head. "It's nothing to do with that. My Devil Fruit powers brought you from your world into this world, Axe."

Things went quiet. Neither of them had told her their names before.

Fake Axe cleared his throat. "How did you-"

"I know more than you think, Axe," she said, eerily calm. "I've dreamt about you and through those dreams, my powers brought you to our world." She turned to pirate Axe. "You two are one and the same person, although you are from different planes of reality. Take a good look at yourselves, huh? Take a really, really, really good look."

They tore their gazes away from her and stared at one another from across the campfire.

"You two are nearly identical, save a few differences. Skin tone, scarring, the way you wear your hair, the memories you possess. These are different, but there are other things that are the same on either side of the mirror. For example, what's your favorite food?"

"Meat," they both replied instantly.

Axe narrowed his eyes. _A coincidence...a lot of people enjoy meat!_

"What do you like to do?"

"Finding treasure, meeting girls and causing trouble for those in power," they replied in unison.

_Shit, now things are getting weird..._ Axe thought, blinking.

"What paths do you follow in life?"

For the third time: "Outlaw, treasure hunter, pirate."

Things became quiet again. A chill ran up and down their spines. Forget weird, things were getting very freaky, and that was saying a lot, considering Axe's life in general.

Kagami closed her eyes. "I ate my Devil Fruit when I was younger, but I never quite understood it. I was pretty scared though, so I asked my papa about it. He used to be a sailor, he would know things, you know? He didn't know and told me I should find my answers in books or something. When you're as young as I am, very few things make sense to you in text books, but from what I read in comic books, I've learned I've been able to draw people in from parallel worlds."

Axe rolled his eyes. "You gotta be kidding me..."

"Look, I don't know much about it myself, alright?" Kagami snapped. "What I do know is that this isn't the first time this has happened. It's happened a number of times as it is, and everytime it happens, papa gets mad at me for it. I keep trying to tell him I have no control over it, it just happens, but he keeps telling me that I have to quit it or else I'm gonna draw the attention of a really bad person someday." She bit her bottom lip thoughtfully. "It's...almost like...a higher power wants these people who are affected...you two, especially...to meet."

"Higher power?" Fake Axe asked. "You mean like a god or spirit?"

"Dude, you can't be seriously thinking about this."

"Shut up, kid. Kagami, did you mean a god?"

She shrugged. "I just get the dreams and afterward, the people show up." She turned to Fake Axe. "You said yourself you don't know anything about Devil Fruits, right?"

He nodded.

"That's because Devil Fruits don't exist in your world, Axe. When you crossed over, you became subjected to a change in the laws of reality. Haven't you noticed anything weird since you've been to this island? Aside from Devil Fruit abilities?"

Fake Axe frowned. One hand moved to the scratch and another hand moved to the leather sack at his waist. "Now that you mention it...yeah. Yeah!" he nodded. "Sonofabitch!"

"Whatever you're used to experiencing in your world, Axe," Kagami continued, "it doesn't work here, because this isn't your world!" She turned to the pirate Axe. "As for you, if you were to crossover, you wouldn't have that Devil Fruit power of yours. You'd be a normal human being! Our worlds are different, but you two are basically one and the same!"

Axe rubbed both his temples. "Alright, alright, alright...I'm still lost as hell here. Start from the beginning again..."

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

They spent the entire night talking and by the time they finished, the sun was rising. Though tired, they made their way through the jungle of the island back to Nexus City. Kagami had been freed in the night and she walked with the two Axes, holding onto each of their hands along the way. Old Men Kenta was more than grateful to see his daughter returned. He gave the two each a bag of Beli, although as he did it, he looked very awkward. They couldn't blame him.

With them paid off, Kenta turned to his daughter and brought her into a loving hold. "I'm so glad you're safe, Kagami!" he said softly, coming close to crying.

"Papa!" she was already sobbing, her fresh tears smearing against his stubbled cheek. "I'm sorry I ran off!"

"I'm sorry I got mad at you, Kagami!" he bawled. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine, Papa! I'm sorry I ran off, I was just so mad and-"

The two Axes watched them go back and forth between apologizing and telling they loved one another. It was a really sugary sweet sort of tender moment, to which made the two men a little sick in the guts, but they could both understand the love of a family very well.

Still holding onto his daughter, Kenta looked to the two. "Thank you so much for finding her, I'm very, very grateful!"

Axe scratched behind his head. "You've already paid us, there's no need to go any further than that..." he murmured, face turning a little red.

"No, but I must!" Kenta insisted. "You see, Kagami is the only child I have and with her mother gone, she's the only family I have left on the island. She's very precious to me, I'd hate anything to happen to her! That's why I was so desperate to find her, I asked help from two complete strangers!"

"A parent's love can make them do very strange and surprising things," Axe-2 said. "You should've seen the things my father did."

"Papa?" Kagami had her arms wrapped around her father's neck. "I really am sorry I ran off like that."

"Kagami, don't-"

"They told me," she pointed to the others, "that I needed to stop running off like I did. I just couldn't help but be mad, because you always yelled at me for my powers."

"Kagami..."

"I really, really don't have any control over it, Papa! Whenever you'd yell at me for using it, I just wanted to run away and be alone so I wouldn't get into trouble for something I couldn't help. I would have stayed away a lot longer if those two hadn't found me. Even after they did find me, I didn't want to go back, but then they told me some stuff about them and their own problems and they said I shouldn't run away when bad things happen. If I do, then I can't face and make them better."

Kenta smiled. "Kagami." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and hugged her again.

Axe leaned to his partner. "We wouldn't have let her run off even if she wanted to, right?"

"Oh, hell no," Axe-2 whispered, shaking his head. "If that happened, I'd make sure to tie her limbs together so the only way she'd get away would be to roll away."

"Thought so," Axe nodded. "Well, I'm glad this worked out. I think they'll do just fine from here on out."

"I hope so."

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Can't really believe a guy who lives and looks like that has this much money," Axe said, placing the bag of money into his coat. "Then again, it's not the only surprise I've had since I came here..."

"Hey, how did you end up on this island, anyway?" Axe-2 asked him as they walked away from the house. "We know how I did, but what about you?"

"My crew and I were on our way to the next island when a huge storm hit. It was a really nasty one, one of the worst I've seen since I've been a pirate. This big wave knocked me clear off the deck and swept me away. I was actually lucky enough to grab onto a barrel that got knocked off too and float away with it. If I hadn't, I would've sunk and drowned."

"But instead, you came to this island," Axe-2 chuckled. "You know, if you think about it, the girl's story actually makes sense."

"How so?"

"She said that some higher power wanted us to meet, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, think about it. If you hadn't run into the storm, if you hadn't been knocked off your ship, you wouldn't have come to this island. If you never came to this island-"

"-then I wouldn't have been able to have met Old Man Kenta, you or his kid..." Axe clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Yeah, I see what you mean."

Axe-2 came to a halt. "If she said was true and I'm only a visitor here, I guess that I'm bound to leave at any time."

Axe stopped and faced him. "Yeah, I guess so."

"If that's the case, then before I go off, I want to say..." he held out his hand, "...I had a great time in this place. I was really glad to have met you, Samuel D. Axe."

His double smiled and shook his head. "Same here...what the hell is your name, exactly? Is it just Axe or-"

"_Just _Axe."

_God, that sounds familiar..._ Axe thought with a smile.

"Aw, forget a handshake, come here you!" Axe-2 suddenly swept his twin up into his strong arms and hugged him tightly. "Goodbye, me!"

Axe could swear that he could feel and hear his backbones popping from the fierce embrace. Though thrown off at first, he managed to worm his arms around the other and return the hug. "Goodbye...me..."

"Hey, real quick! You never told me what the initial D stood for."

"Oh, right! It stands for-" Suddenly, Axe stumbled and hit the ground. Looking around, he saw that he was alone now on the island. "OH COME ON ALREADY! WHAT IS THIS, SOME KIND OF RUNNING GAG!"

It was so strange for him though, because as soon as he saw he was alone, he felt a sort of emptiness inside of himself. Climbing to his feet, he noticed another sort of feeling too. "Hey, wait a second..." Reaching into his coat, he discovered the money bag Kenta had given him was gone!

"Where the-" he stopped mid-sentence and a vein appeared on his forehead. "OH, I JUST GOT RIPPED OFF BY MYSELF!" he roared, throwing his arms into the air, as if he were damning the heavens. "YOU BASTARD!"

Kenta, who was still within earshot, called out: "Did you just call yourself a bastard, young'n?"

"SHUT UP OLD MAN!"

-In the other world...-

Axe-2 laughed as he juggled both sacks of money. "No matter how sentimental an event is, no one can stop the sticky fingers of a thief!" He was so pleased with himself, but that only lasted until he opened both bags to see the kind of money the other world had. He had never seen a sort of currency like this before. "OH DAMMIT!" he cried, throwing the bags onto the ground. "I CAN'T SPEND THIS MONEY ANYWHERE!"

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Welcome back, Axe!"

Axe sighed and waved idly to the others as he found himself once again at home on The Ocean Dreamer. "Thanks guys, great to be back..."

Azu, his face red from the drink, wobbled around the deck with him. "Wassamatter, boss?" he asked, voice slurred. "You look down!"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Azu. You really, really wouldn't..."

He patted his captain on the back. "Well, don't worry about it! I haven't exactly been all that great myself lately!"

"Oh yeah? I didn't know you were that upset about me being gone."

"Well, actually hic I didn't know you were gone until hic hic a couple days after the storm!" he gave a great laugh.

Axe facefaulted. "So...if you didn't know I was gone right away, what made you so not great?"

Azu scratched his head. "I've been having these weird ass dreams lately..."

Axe paused. Given what he had just been through, he couldn't help but be slightly interested in what the drunken boxer had gone through. "What kind of dreams, Azu?"

The shipwright shrugged. "Ish really weird..." he took another swig from his jar. "But, the dreams were that we were all in another world!"

_Another world! Dont' tell me...Azu, you too?_ Axe gulped. "O-O-Oh really?"

"Yeah..." his nakama nodded. "...and in that world, we were all a bunch of brightly colored ponies that could_ talk_!"

-A few seconds later-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

_SPLASH!_

Axe walked away from the railing of the ship, dusting his hands after throwing Azu overboard. "Friggin' drunken bastard..."

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

**Translations**

**Heikou - Parallel**

**Kagami - Mirror**

**Nexus - A center point of things. In many fiction, I've seen the term "nexus" be conjoined with alternate worlds.  
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**Kilnorc: Here are the final answers to this story, everyone. Ready? -deep breath-**

**This is not my official return to fanfiction, which means that you'll all have to wait awhile longer before I can go back and fix what I did in Endless Nightmare and the rest of the CotA series. I'm sorry if I got your hopes up, everyone, I truly am, but that's the honest truth. The reason this story was made was so that I could introduce you all to a piece of my writing. All of you, my dear fans who have loved the CotA saga since the first fic, you've loved the characters and everything, and you've been WONDERFUL, always so patient and supportive of my choice. I wanted you guys to know how I've been doing, so that, while I am unable to write my fanfiction, I could deliver unto you, my faithful and unwavering audience, a treat and a reward for everything you've done for me. Your love for this series over the years has been a huge driving force for me to have written what I had before I left to write more seriously.**

**-bows deeply- Thank you, all, I mean it from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.  
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**If you guys are at all interested in this new version of your favorite OC pirate, or the world of which he comes from, then please -waves- visit my author profile. I've updated it at last and I have supplied the needed information to help you, should any of you be interested. It isn't CotA, but you may enjoy what you find there. If you love Axe, then it may be worth it. He's notably different from his original incarnation, as you all can see, but I've done my very best to keep true to the most basic of his character traits.  
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**Needless to say, this can be viewed as a "special" and "Non-canonical" story in the CotA series. The island and it's people were created for the sole purpose of this story of alternate versions of people. That being said and this is non-canonical to begin with, if anyone wishes to have fun with this island, then please, feel free to do so. The CotA saga has always been open and shared with many fans and friends of mine, so if people wanna goof around with the idea of their characters meeting different versions of themselves, then by all means, you have my blessing to do so.**

**Well, that's it guys. I'm sorry that I haven't done what you were expecting after my long absence, but I do hope that you've enjoyed this story and that, should you see my real work out there, that you enjoy it as well.  
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